San Diego FC defeats LAFC to spoil Son Heung-min’s home debut
Hirving Lozano and Anders Dreyer scored, and San Diego FC spoiled the home debut of LAFC forward Son Heung-min with a 2-1 victory Sunday night.
After Dreyer got the tiebreaking goal in the 66th minute, Western Conference-leading San Diego held on against a barrage of LAFC chances to extend its unbeaten streak to six matches in MLS play.
Denis Bouanga scored in the first half for LAFC, but the French star and Son both failed to convert golden scoring chances in the final minutes of expansion San Diego’s first trip 120 miles north to BMO Stadium. CJ Dos Santos made three saves for the visitors, including a diving stop on Son in second-half injury time.
Son was given a hero’s welcome in his first match in Los Angeles, taking the field nearly four weeks after LAFC announced the landmark signing of the South Korean star following his decade at Tottenham. Son played his first three matches on the road for LAFC, scoring a goal and immediately energizing the offense while his new club went unbeaten.
The sellout crowd serenaded Son from the moment he stepped on the field for warmups in Los Angeles, which has the world’s largest Korean population outside Korea. With thousands of fans wearing his jerseys for club and country, Son repeatedly waved to those cheering him on, and he exhorted the crowd into a frenzy right before kickoff.
Bouanga put LAFC ahead in the 15th minute with a beautiful chip volley into San Diego’s net off an excellent pass from teenager David Martínez. Bouanga’s goal was his 15th of the season, all in his last 19 matches.
But Lozano answered in the 33rd minute with a strike from the middle of the box for his ninth MLS goal. The Mexican national team star celebrated by taunting the famously raucous North End supporters’ section.
Dreyer put San Diego ahead with an individual effort by the Danish star, slipping behind LAFC’s back line to collect Jeppe Tverskov’s pass and juking two defenders before firing a left-footed shot for his 14th goal.
LAFC controlled play for long stretches, but couldn’t even it.
Son hit a screamer toward the far top corner in the 45th minute, but Dos Santos made a superb leaping save.
Hugo Lloris’ long pass put Son in a one-on-one break in the 74th minute, but he couldn’t get a shot off.
Son then hit the post in the 78th minute with a shot from the top of the box.
Bouanga got alone on the keeper in the 82nd minute, but waited too long to take a shot.
Son’s hard shot in the 92nd minute was saved by a diving Dos Santos.
